Chapter 15 - Prizes and Winners

Chapter 15 - Prizes and Winners

Tybolt and I spent the next few hours outside of the arena, the older squire even went so far as to forego watching the other two competitions. Instead, the two of us played old games that I still knew from home. One in particular never got old.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors!" Both of our hands descended again, already forming into their desired form.

"Hah, got you!" I said as I clapped the older squire on his arm and he crossed his arms, frowing slightly.

"What is this nonsense?! How does paper beat rock?!" I laughed and patted him on the shoulder once again, though I still had a large grin on my face.

"It's a game, that's why. I mean, if you want to we can change the game to something else, perhaps Mikado."

"What in Lord Tywin's name is a Mikado?" I felt a bit of sweat run down the back of my head and I chuckled, before making a dismissive wave.

"Ah, forget it. It's just an idea in my head, sorry." Tybolt stared at me for a short while and then nodded, and the topic was dropped.

"So, what did your father say about your little deal with me?" I asked after a short while and the older boy nodded.

"Great that you bring it up. Father said that the deal itself was more than fine, though he said that such a small amount of goods isn't worth transporting alone, so they will most likely arrive when a bigger batch of our supplies are either delivered from the Riverlands or to the Riverlands." I nodded, completely fine with the idea. Knowing the Riverland's good transport system, it wouldn't take long until I would have the boars and seeds for the grapes in my possession.

'Though, now that I'm thinking about it, isn't the only thing that the Riverlands have going for it its transport system?' The thought shot into my mind and I began to seriously think about it.

The Riverlands were connected to nearly every single one of the Seven Kingdoms, which made it great for transporting goods and serving as a meeting place. But the connection to the other kingdoms wasn't only great.

In times of war, it was always the Riverlands that suffered the most, lost most of their infrastructure, and also were the ones that were the easiest to beat, at least geographically speaking. The Riverlands were never wholly united, which meant they could very rarely bring their full manpower to the front. I let out a long, suffering sigh as reality crushed upon me and I rubbed my eyes.

"Uh, you alright?" Tybolt's unsure voice rang out next to me, and I nodded.

"Yeah, just thought about another thing I will try to fix when I'm home," I said as I sat up straight once again and looked into the sky, noting that it was slowly getting dark.

"Alright, I think it's time that we return to the tent I've been in, otherwise my family members will return and think I've run off or something." I stood up with a slight grunt, and let Tybolt steady me before both of us returned to the tent. The larger squire helped me sit down on the bed I had been lying on and then made a fake bow.

"Well then, I ought to go too, otherwise my father will think I've visited a brothel or something." I snorted at his words and gave him a small salute.

"Well then, see you tomorrow Tybolt, make sure to watch every second of my prize ceremony." He rolled his eyes and was nearly out of the tent already.

"We'll see Donar, we'll see." He said and left the tent.

I remained awake for a few more minutes before I fell asleep, but soon enough the tiredness and fatigue that had been building itself over the days became too much and I felt how my eyes slowly closed.

That night, only the warmth of the rune was present in my dreams.

*****

I was shaken awake by Brynden, who was already fully dressed, in quite beautiful garments too, if I had to admit.

"It's time for you to wake up lad, the ceremony is going to start soon." I sat up and rubbed my eyes before rolling my neck.

"How long was I asleep?"

"I don't know exactly how long, but you slept through most of this day as well. So stand up and dress yourself." He said and pointed at a pile of clothes that lay on a chair close to the bed I was lying on. I quickly fished the clothes from the chair and whistled appreciatively. They were finely tailored, much finer than the ones I normally wore.

"How am I going to get to the ceremony with, you know...this," I said as I gestured to my still swollen knee and Brynden nodded before he gave me a roughly made walking stick.

"I know it's not much, but it will have to do for now." He said and waited until I had dressed. I took the offered stick and carefully got off the bed, testing out just how well it could hold my weight. I took a few steps, and even though I did feel some pain, it was far from the worst I had ever felt.

"This will do, thank you." Brynden smiled and then turned to Hoster, who had also readied himself for the ceremony. His clothing was even finer made than Brynden's and ornamented with little, deep blue diamonds that seemed to glimmer slightly. When he saw my look Hoster smiled and then moved his shoulders.

"These clothes might be beautiful boy, but believe me, you don't want to wear them." I chuckled and nodded.

"Understood Lord Hoster, I will remember that." The Lord of Riverrun nodded and then took a fixed sword to his side, before handing me a decorated dagger.

"Only highborn knights and the Kingsguard are allowed to wear their weapons, so please take this. It might not be much, but I won't risk anything." I took the offered dagger and nodded, before sticking it under my belt where I could immediately unsheathe it if needed. Hoster looked at me one last time and then began to lead us out of the tent.

"It will only be us three that represent House Tully. Now that most of the other lords know that you are a part of our family Donar, be strong and don't show any weakness."

"Yes, my lord," I said as we neared a lit entrance that was being guarded by four Goldcloaks. One of them stepped forward, quickly inspected our weapons, and then stepped back, clearing the way.

We ascended a long staircase, which was a pain for me because of my knee, and then arrived in a strangely built hall that didn't resemble any of the other structures I had seen yet. Instead of the open viewing stands, we were in a hall filled with large tables, which were already loaded with food and drinks, more than I had ever seen in my life. Though it did seem as if we were one of the first ones to arrive.

"Lord Hoster and Ser Brynden." The charismatic voice of King Aerys reached my ears and when I turned around I saw how the Targaryen ruler was already standing in front of me, a smile on his face.

"Ah, and you must be Donar, Ser Brynden's son." I kneeled in front of the king, refusing the meet his eyes. And even though my knee was protesting, I would gladly accept an aching knee compared to what the king could do to me. Even if he seemed charismatic, I would keep my guard up.

"Yes, your Grace. It is an unbelievable honor to see you in person." I heard the King chuckle as if he were amused.

"See Rhaella, I do have admirers around the entire realm." I heard the king address his wife, while his chuckling continued.

"Rise young one, you are one of the champions of this tourney and not just some bastard." I nodded at the king's words and slowly rose, though I still kept my eyes lowered. The next thing I saw was King Areys's hand, and I knew what he wanted. I internally sighed, but kissed his hand, before bowing and extending a lowered hand to the queen.

"It is only fair that House Targaryen is respected." At my words, the queen threw me a smile, but a sad smile, and offered me her hand. My lips touched her fingers and I noticed how cold and frail they were.

'That is what happens when so many of your children die, huh?' I let go of Rhaella's hand and bowed.

"You fought well in the melee." The queen said, and even though I noticed how she seemed to have almost no energy to speak, she still smiled.

"Your praise honors me, my queen," I said, before I stood back up to my full height and squared my aching shoulders slightly. King Aerys had already turned to Hoster and Brynden and now was immersed in a conversation with them. I used the moment and slowly walked over to the next table and let my body collapse upon the first bench I came across, sighing in relief as I did so, happy that I could at least take some weight off my leg.

Soon enough other highborns began to enter the hall, and all of them were dressed in their finest clothes. I even saw Tybolt among them who was standing next to his father, the smiling Lord Crakehall. In a few minutes, the hall was filled and I sat at a table with the other children and squires of the ceremony. But the strangest thing was just how many of them were staring at me as if I had just spat fire. They never took their eyes off me, and I had to admit that it was a bit creepy.

"Hey, try this. It's trout baked in clay, fucking delicious!" Well, all of them were creepy except for Tybolt, who was already eating.

"Trout in clay? Alright, I'll try it." I took a look at the strange meal and it was indeed what the name said. The clay had been applied around the trout and the cooks had most likely baked it that way. Smart, I had to admit that. I took one of the trouts and one of my hands began to lightly squeeze, beginning to create pressure on the clay.

"Hey, you are supposed to open it with a kn-"

*Crack* The clay easily crumbled beneath my grip and I looked at the other young boy who had started to speak.

"Hm?"

"Oh uh, nothing." The young squire said, rubbing the back of his head. I shrugged and took the first bite of the meal and savored the rich taste that soon followed.

'Wow.'

I had eaten the entire fish in no time and even tried some more food, like potted hare and oxtail soup, all of which were delicious.

"Um, excuse me?" A young voice interrupted my wild eating, and I turned around to face the child who had spoken to me, speaking almost on instinct.

"Yes?" Only after the word had left my mouth did I take in the appearance of the two children in front of me. Their faces resembled each other to the point where I couldn't tell which of them had spoken to me. Their green eyes stared at my large form and their golden hair seemed to shine in the candlelight.

'Shit.'

Standing in front of me were Jaime and Cersei Lannister, the children of Tywin Lannister and also the ones that could be blamed for a lot of shit in the future. But what I didn't truly understand was why they stood in front of me, a bastard of another noble House.

Both of them were silent for a short amount of time, but then the one clothed in more womanly clothing lightly nudged the other one and he seemed to find his voice again.

"I saw your fight in the arena, it was great! Would you mind showing me a few tricks with the swords?" I was silent for a short while, and then saw Tybolt's widened eyes and opened mouth.

'He didn't know about it either.'

"Of course, I can, though I'm afraid that I can only instruct you, seen as I have a bit of trouble with walking right now," I said and gestured to my leg. The young Lannister nodded nonetheless and waited until I had risen to my feet, towering over both of them like a grown man would over a child.

"Well, show me where you want to practice and lead the way." The young heir of Lord Tywin nodded and quickly began to run down the staircases and I followed, though I did so with much less speed and hopping around. And I also heard how a person was following me. A knight, most likely.

'Jeez, Tywin's careful.'

I arrived at the bottom of the stairs and then rounded the corner to see Jaime standing in the middle of a larger room, a wooden sword in his hand.

"Alright, let's see," I said and flipped the stick in my hand around.

"Please try to avoid hitting the knee, alright?" The Lannister nodded and a small smile grew on my face.

'At least he's a good brat.'

"Well then, here we go," I said and threw the first, non-serious, attack at the boy, curious how he would respond. His wooden sword caught the blow and he jumped back, most likely only on instinct.

'Damn, he's good.'

I smiled and applauded the little boy, who seemed to be a bit confused.

"Well done, that blow would have taken out a boy your age quite easily. Are you ready for more?" Jaime took a very faulty stance and nodded, readying himself for more. I chuckled and then advanced, though I still made sure that I wouldn't tax my leg too much.

"Alright, let's see how long we can do it, alright?"

*****

"Well done, really well done," I said and patted the young Lannister on his shoulder, making sure to not send him to the ground. He was completely spent, sweating and breathing heavily, but I did see a small smile on his face.

"One important thing you have to remember is that sparring isn't the only thing. Striking a dummy many times over, practicing your attacks over and over again, creates muscle memory and decreases the amount of "thinking" you have to do in a fight." I said, paraphrasing what Ser Desmond always told me during my training.

"Ser, I thank you." Jaime inclined his head and I snorted and waved dismissively.

"I am no Ser, so you don't have to address me as such." Jaime nodded once again, though he put the wooden sword away, still breathing heavily.

"I think that's enough for today, don't you think, young lord?" I looked at the knight who had watched the entire thing and raised my hands.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything." The knight didn't answer, but instead just remained standing where he was.

'Why does he even wear full armor? He isn't a member of the Kingsguard. Perhaps because Tywin is the Hand of the king?'

I turned around to address the two siblings once again, a smile on my face.

"Nonetheless, it was an honor to meet you, young lion cubs. Both of you ought to grow some fangs in the future." I lowered myself to their level and cringed slightly

"Please don't tell your father I said that I couldn't bear the shame." Both of them chuckled and I smiled before I carefully laid my hands on their shoulders. I almost wanted to send them off already, until I realized something.

"Oh, lady Cersei? I have a little present for you." I took out the metal coin I had used as my trademark in the tourney and gave it to the young girl, who looked at it with awe.

"I never saw such a coin." I snorted and nodded.

"You couldn't have, I made it after all." I heard the sounds of footsteps approaching and saw that it wasn't the knight that had been watching over me, but instead a knight with a brilliant white cloak.

'Kingsguard.' I silently observed the man, unsure who I was facing right now.

"Ser, what gives me the honor?" I said, bowing slightly. The Kingsguard looked at my injured knee for a split second but then spoke up.

"King Aerys requests your presence. I shall lead you to him." I nodded, though in truth I wasn't sure what exactly the king wanted from me.

'Perhaps he wants to give me my rewards from the tourney right away.'

I turned to the two Lannister children one more time and bowed, smiling as I did so.

"Well, as you heard, I am being called by his Grace, so I shall take my leave. I wish both of you good luck."

'And less incest, none would be preferable.' I added in my head but then nodded at the Kingsguard.

"Lead the way Ser." The Kingsguard didn't reply, but instead turned around and did just that, leading me up the set of stairs that led to the room where the feast took place and then to another staircase.

"May I ask why I was being called? Does it concern the tournament?" The knight shook his head, but didn't slow his ascent any bit,

"No, but I can assure you that you don't have to fear anything."

'Oh, and such an imprecise answer helps so much.' I silently replied in my head but decided to keep my mouth shut for now. When we reached the end of the staircase, we quickly turned right and entered yet another room.

The room had no ceiling, which meant that I could look at the beautiful night sky and see the bright stars that shone above. After a few seconds, however, my eyes drifted down once again and focused on the people who stood in the room. Mace Tyrell, whose head was still bandaged from the melle, stood a few feet away from King Aerys, who had taken a seat on a huge wooden chair. The other people were the rest of the Kingsguard, Uncle Hoster, and Lord Tywin who was standing on Aerys's side. The Hand's eyes met mine, and I knew why Tybolt feared the man so much.

My uncle Hoster could be strong and intimidating and King Aerys had a certain aura of charisma surrounding him but Tywin's aura was different. It was cool and controlled, but at the same time, it seemed ready to immediately jump at you and attack if needed. Tywin himself certainly didn't make the situation easier. His green eyes seemed to be made of hard emeralds that had been just mined and polished, while his straight posture reminded me of an unflinching mountain.

'And Tybolt compared me to this guy? Don't make me laugh.'

Not to say that King Aerys wasn't intimidating. His purple eyes now seemed to be following me

I still didn't show any outward reaction, however, and instead chose to bow before the three Lord Paramounts and the King.

"You have requested my presence, your Grace, so how shall I serve you?"

'Damn, that sounds corny.' I thought just after the words had left my mouth, but Aerys seemed to be pleased by them.

"Arise young one. And the reason I called you here is quite simple. For your exceptional performance at the tourney, you shall be rewarded by me."

'Ah, so it is the rewards.'

"I thank you, your Grace." Aerys nodded and then pointed at Lord Tyrell who hadn't taken his eyes off me for a while now.

"Lord Mace has convinced me to give you the following reward, so you should also express your thanks to him, don't you think?" I was confused by the King's words, but still nodded and bowed before the Reach Lord.

"I thank you, Lord Tyrell." The man threw me a small smile and nodded before Aerys's voice once again cut through the air.

"Lord Hoster, I assume that you won't have any objection to what I am going to do now, correct?" The Lord Paramount of the Riverlands shook his head and looked at me.

"The boy shall earn the title but he still has much to learn."

'Wait.' My eyes began to widen as I began to realize what was happening.

"Donar Storm of House Tully, step forward." The King's voice echoed in my ears and I did what I had been told, if only because I still was in shock.

'This isn't happening, right?'

"Kneel." The King said as he stood up from his chair and took the offered sword of Ser Gerold Hightower. I did as he told me, even if my aching knee protested slightly.

When the King stood in front of me, he smiled and unsheated the sword, before he stopped right in front of me.

"Donar of House Tully," he began solemnly, and I felt how the blade touched my right shoulder, "in the name of the Warrior I charge you to be brave." The sword moved from my right shoulder to my left. "In the name of the Father, I charge you to be just." Back to the right. "In the name of the Mother I charge you to defend the young and innocent." The left. "In the name of the Maid, I charge you to protect all women." Back to the right. "In the name of the Crone, I charge you to be wise." The sharp blade once again touched my left shoulder. "In the name of the Smith I charge you to be steadfast." The right. "In the name of the Stranger, I charge you to remember that all things must die."

I was silent, still shocked by what had transpired in the span of a few seconds, but King Aerys' wasn't quite done yet.

"Arise Ser Donar, knight of the Seven Kingdoms." The blade left my shoulder and I couldn't quite stand up right away, still digesting the thing that had just happened.

'I am a knight.'

I wasn't sure if I had earned the title. I had been lucky in the melee, extremely so. If Brynden or Grandison had fought against me from the start, I would have been one of the first ones to be eliminated.

"Stand up and be proud of the title." I heard another voice say and turned around to see Brynden leaning against one of the wooden pillars in the room.

I did as he told, and then bowed before the king.

"Your Grace, it is an honor to receive knighthood, especially from someone of your status." Aerys chuckled and then made a dismissive wave.

"If I am ever in the need of your services, Ser Donar I shall make sure to send you a raven. No go, and enjoy the rest of the feast. The reward of the tourney has already been given to Lord Hoster. He shall be the one that will hand it over to you when you have returned to Riverrun." I bowed once again and another thank you spilled from my mouth. I turned to Lord Tyrell, and too took a deep bow.

"I thank you, Lord Tyrell. How can I repay you?" The lord smiled and laughed.

"How about you spread my new moniker? "Rose Lord" does have quite the sound to it, eh?" I nodded and bowed again. I probably would have never stopped if Brynden hadn't lightly seized me by my shoulder and led me away from the room. Hoster was close behind him.

"I'm a knight," I repeated over and over again, still confused about how it had happened. I had planned to earn knighthood as soon as possible, but this was almost too fast, especially because I didn't do anything noteworthy. No grand feats that compared to the ones that Barristan Selmy achieved, instead I was made a knight because I managed to knock out a few fighters.

"And, how does it feel to be the youngest knight in the Seven Kingdoms?" Brynden asked as he smiled down at me, but I wasn't sure if I should be happy as well.

"It doesn't feel earned," I said after a few seconds and when we arrived I immediately split from my uncle and father to sit down again.

"And Donar, how did the training with the heir of Casterly Rock go?" Tybolt's voice brought me back to reality, and a small smile made its way into my face.

"It was quite alright. I also received the winnings for my accomplishments in the tourney, though Lord Hoster is currently keeping them on his person." Tybolt gave an acknowledging grunt and then pointed at a cup of ale and a huge roasted chicken.

"Wanna try it? Not even the adults have tried to eat this thing yet. It's supposedly really spicy." I looked at him and then smiled.

"Sure, let's try it." Tybolt chuckled and pulled the plate toward us.

"Alright then, my friend," he handed me a large knife, smiling widely as he did so.

"I will give you the honor." I snorted and cut into the chicken and gave Tybolt and me a huge piece each.

"Let's enjoy then," I said and Tybolt nodded, before digging in.

'I think I've found a good friend.' I thought while I too took the part of the chicken and dug into it, my teeth biting into the fresh meat.

Tybolt and I spent the rest of the night drinking and eating. And even though I would have a stomach ache and a hangover the next day, I have to admit that the simple act of eating and talking with a friend did soothe my soul.

*****

When I woke up the next morning, I had a splitting headache. I sat up and groaned.

'I regret drinking so much alcohol.' I thought and walked outside to quickly splash my face with some water to at least do something against my pounding head.

"Ah, the boy has turned into a man." Ser Desmond's amused voice came from the right and I saw how the older man got closer, wearing a grin I could only describe as shit-eating.

"And how does the young Ser feel after eating half of the stocks of King's Landing?" I groaned at his words and slowly stood up.

"I'm going to be better in half an hour or something like that."

"You ought to be because we are leaving King's Landing soon enough," Desmond said, and I nodded.

"I will be alright. Did something happen while I was out?" Ser Desmond's face got more serious and he nodded.

"You could say that. King Aerys got pretty drunk yesterday and well, he said a few things about Lord Tywin's wife that the latter didn't appreciate at all. I have never seen him so angry before." Ser Desmond shuddered, but then pointed at me.

"But there's something else I will tell you, lad. Our relationship won't change a bit. I'm still your teacher and your superior, you got that? You might have the title of a knight, but you still have to prove to me that you've earned it until you've earned it." I nodded at Ser Desmond's words, a bit thankful. At least I already knew one person who wouldn't treat me differently.

"I have to go and help the guards lad, you will have to visit Lord Hoster and Ser Brynden in their tent, they wish to speak with you." I nodded at my trainer's words and made my way to Hoster's tent. When I entered, both Tullys were bent over a map, which meant they were once again checking our route. Both of them turned to me as I entered, and Hoster took a seat on a chair.

"Have you recovered from yesterday's feast?" Brynden asked, and I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Do you mean the headache? Yes, that's going to disappear sooner or later." Brynden chuckled and nodded.

"Good," he rubbed his hands and looked at Hoster before continuing.

"Well, let's get to business. As you now have the title of a knight, I will personally take you with me on a few travels across the Riverlands. They will be short but also important for your future, be aware of that. I will continue to teach you normally, but your education under the Maester is going to be increased." Hoster cleared his throat, and as if both men had agreed on it beforehand, he took over for his brother and continued the speech.

"Indeed. You said that you wanted to accompany me during some of my travels, didn't you Donar?" I nodded and Hoster continued.

"Well, while you might be a bastard of House Tully, you still have some importance and claim to your heritage, which is why you will be trained to be a vassal of our House in the future. If you manage well, you might as well be able to find your own House too." I stared at the two older men and nodded, bowing slightly as I did.

"I will try my very best, Lord Hoster and Ser Brynden. When we return to Riverrun, I already have an idea where I shall start with my improvements as well."

'Namely finally forging with Wootz steel, I can't wait to try that.'

"Good, you may leave us and ready yourself for the travel home. Be sure that you visit a Maester to take some milk of the poppy for your leg as well." I nodded at Brynden's words and left the tent.

"Hey Donar, there you are!" The loud, but already familiar voice of Tybolt made me turn around. The older boy was walking towards me, a large smile on his face.

"Heard you and your family are riding home already, so I thought that I'd give you this." Tybolt handed over a few boar sausages and smiled at me.

"Enjoy them and savor them every second you can, my friend." He said and smiled.

"Heh, I will," I replied and looked at the sausages for a short while.

"Tybolt, what do you say that we two keep contact over the ravens? And if I'm lucky, I might be able to participate in another tourney in a few years." Tybolt nodded and smiled.

"Sure we can! And besides, I still have to write you when the boars and grapes arrive anyway." I saw how one of the Tully guards was already done with his tent, and waved at me.

"Come on you lazy bum and do what you have to!" Tybolt chuckled and offered me his hand.

"Well, looks like you have to go, but at least let's part as friends, eh?" I took the offered hand and smiled.

"Well said."

"DONAR!" The next scream of the guard was even louder, and I had to sigh.

"Well, gotta go then," I said and let go of Tybolt's hand, before quickly running to my tent and collecting all of my things and storing them away.

After I had packed my things I quickly visited one of the Maesters who still resided in the wooden building and took some milk from the poppy. Not enough to dull my senses, but enough to dull the pain. When I returned to the camp, I saw how most of the guards already sat on their horses. Hoster and Brynden were the same, their beautiful horses visible at the very front of the collum. I untied my horse and got into the saddle, even if my knee protested somewhat. Lord Hoster's voice carried through the air as soon as I had made myself comfortable.

"Donar, ride next to your father and Ser Desmond. The three of you should discuss just how your training will be changed."

"Aye, my Lord," I said and quickly urged my horse to walk forward until I was next to the two knights. Hoster, who had been watching me from the corner of his eyes, turned around and spurned his horse on, once again taking the lead.

"Now, just to make it clear, we will be doubling the exercise you need to do, but we won't take away too much of your time in one go," Desmond said and smiled slightly while Brynden nodded.

"Indeed, you will still have more than enough time for your projects, especially the ones that you failed at so often." The older man tilted his head slightly and his eyes scrunched up.

"What did you call one of them again? Wuutz?" I snorted and shook my head.

"No Ser, Wootz." I smiled slightly and then grinned.

"And believe me, that will just be the beginning."

------------

AN: And the tourney arc is done, at least for now. I wanted to end it in this chapter, so expect more smithing/family or Riverlands focus next time.